Fire in Cold Glow: Revised Edition
by LuluCalliope
Summary: A revised version of Masked Mouse's story! Tanya has a daughter named Amber, but she can't remember how she had her or who could be the father. Now she must do everything in her power to protect the one thing she cares about. Read and review!
1. Chapter 1

Fire in Cold Glow (Revised Edition)

By Masked Mouse

Edited by LuluCalliope

Chapter One

The wind was wailing outside of the building that the humans had left behind several years ago. Rain pounded down on the streets of New York. Inside of the building and just through a crack in one of the walls slept a pretty young mouse. She thrashed around in response to the thunder outside and the nightmares she was having. When a bolt of lightning seemed too close, she awoke, shivering from the sudden shock of finding herself in an unfamiliar place, in a white nightgown that wasn't hers. She wondered where her family was. She placed a hand to her forehead, which was throbbing and giving her a pounding headache.

"Oh, good, you are up," a voice said, and she jumped as she realized that there had been another mouse watching her from a couch opposite the bed. The mouse lying in bed saw that the speaker was a plump woman with light white fur and sky blue eyes. She was wearing a frilly blue dress and a white apron. "I thought we were going to lose you when we brought you in. You poor thing, you were such a gruesome sight to the eyes. Good thing Mistress Catherine let us keep you. You might have been killed by those cats…" They both shuddered at the thought.

"Who's Mistress Catherine?" The mouse lying in bed asked feebly.

"Oh, she's the owner of this old hostel," the chatty woman replied. "And, silly me, I almost forgot to introduce myself. I'm Maria. Do you have a name?"

"T-Tanya," was the reply. "Do you know where my clothes are?"

"Oh, we've had to get them cleaned, Miss Tanya," Maria said grimly.

"How bad was I?" Tanya asked, preparing for the worst.

"You were covered in bruises, cuts, the works," Maria answered darkly. "And you lost a lot of blood—more than anyone has in my experience as a nurse. You're getting along better now. I'll leave you and your little one to rest."

"My little one…?" Tanya asked, surprised and confused.

"Your baby," Maria replied, her voice also dripping with confusion. "She is yours, right?" She pointed to a small bassinet that was resting by the side of Tanya's bed. Inside of it was a sleeping baby mouse, covered with mostly dark brown fur, except for a small patch of white on her forehead. She had brown hair. Tanya peered down at her, surprised. "I don't know," she said softly. "She could be mine."

"She does look like you," Maria observed. "Does she have a name?" Tanya shook her head. "Then we shall have to give her one," Maria declared.

"She's so beautiful," Tanya whispered, a few tears springing to her eyes. "Like a jewel…"

Maria snapped her fingers. "That's it! Tanya, do you know any jewel names you like?"

Tanya closed her eyes, mentally going over a list of names from that category. But one sparked in her mind, like sudden warmth in the darkness. "Amber," she whispered. "I've always liked the name 'Amber'…"

"Then she shall be called Amber!" Maria declared. "It's a beautiful name! Now, you two rest. You'll meet Mistress Catherine tomorrow. But if you need anything, don't hesitate to let me know." And with that, Maria silently left the room.

Now alone, Tanya looked down at the baby resting in the bassinet. She tried to rest, but she kept on asking herself how it was possible to have a baby when she had no memory of it. It didn't make sense. Yet there was no mistake. The baby looked like her. But the last things Tanya could remember were only bits and pieces that flashed before her eyes. Cats were going after her family. She saw Cat R. Waul being captured. She heard his voice in her head. "Don't worry, I won't hurt you." These words, comforting as they were, sent a shiver down her spine…


	2. Chapter 2

Fire in Cold Glow (Revised Edition)

By Masked Mouse

Edited by LuluCalliope

Chapter Two

The next morning Tanya awoke to find Maria arriving with a silver tray, which carried a small plate of eggs, a pot of tea, and a jug of milk. "Morning, Miss Tanya, did you sleep well?" Maria asked, beaming brightly at her.

"No, for the oddest reason I had a strange dream last night," Tanya said, furrowing her brow. "It was more like a memory I wish to forget," Tanya sighed to herself.

"Well, I'm sure you'll feel better once you down some breakfast," Maria said. Tanya couldn't help but agree with her new friend. Maybe eating something could help. But she couldn't get that dream out of her head. She still saw her family running away from those awful cats. They trapped her family and gave them terrible wounds. But Tanya knew that hers were worse as she felt the full force of their beating and their deep claws digging into her back as they tried to break her. But that wasn't enough, for her family had ended their lives that day, and she was kept alive knowing that they were the lucky ones. She did not know for what reason she had been allowed to live. And the same injuries were repeated each day and night. And the work that the cats forced her to do for them tired her body out. She remembered that moment when she ran and didn't stop running, not caring how much was bleeding or how bad the stinging pain that ran through her limbs was. And it wasn't fair as somehow her time of suffering was linked to Amber. Tanya stared down at her as the baby slept. "Still hasn't opened her eyes yet," Maria said, and Tanya shook her head. Maria sighed. "Hmmm, that is a bad sign."

"Why is that?" Tanya asked in alarm.

"If a baby mouse doesn't open its eyes one or two weeks after it is born, then it is usually a stillborn," Maria explained sadly. They suddenly heard Amber cry aloud, and they looked down at her. Tanya's heart almost broke as she stared into her daughter's eyes, which were a perfect sky blue, like her own. She felt like crying in sadness, joy, and relief. Amber continued to bawl as Maria lifted her out of the bassinet.

"Where are you taking her?" Tanya asked, suddenly afraid of losing her. If she lost Amber like she lost the rest of her family, she wouldn't be able to handle it.

"Going to get her weight, don't worry," Maria assured her. "Just eat your breakfast, and I'll bring her back in a moment." Tanya listened to her footsteps down the hall. She stared down at the tray, cutting into the first egg slowly before making an attempt to swallow it. She couldn't enjoy it as a huge lump formed deep inside of her chest. But Maria returned, carrying Amber in her arms. "There you go," she said, passing the baby into the arms of her mother. "She is a healthy baby girl. And she's a fighter, like you…and probably her father. Do you remember him at all, Miss Tanya?"

She shook her head. "No, I can't remember," she said regretfully and sorrowfully.

"You have to, for her sake," Maria said, trying to motivate Tanya. Again, she shook her head no.

"What is going on in here, Maria?" An elderly voice asked from the doorway. Tanya and Maria turned to face a well-dressed old mouse. She was covered in fluffy brown fur streaked with gray. She had dark eyes, and was wearing a purple gown covered with fine jewels.

"Mistress Catherine, this is Tanya, the newcomer I was telling you about," Maria piped up.

"And this must be little Amber," Mistress Catherine observed, walking over to the bed.

"What do you think we should do?" Maria asked her.

"I think that Miss Tanya should rest and Amber be given proper care until her mother is ready to take control again," Mistress Catherine replied.

"That's a perfect idea!" Maria exclaimed, clapping her hands together. "How about we introduce her to the other children now?"

"There are more?" Tanya asked in amazement.

"Yes, they are all from young women like you. Almost all of them have been born in the hostel. Yet I don't know…"

"Don't know what?" Tanya asked anxiously.

"I'm not sure how they will react to an outside baby mouse," Mistress Catherine said. "Most of these children have known each other for long periods of time, and they all have grown up in the same…environment. Judging by your accent, I'd wager you're not even from America."

"No, but I have been living in America for a few years," Tanya said. "I moved here with my family. We were immigrants from Russia." She stopped. Talking about her family was still hard for her to do.

"Well, let's give it a try," Maria said. "And I'm sure that even if the children do not like her now, they will in time." They helped Tanya get out of bed, and they were all pleasantly surprised to see that she was still steady on her feet, even after her ordeals. They escorted Tanya to a room which had been made into a nursery with lots of cradles and a tiny play pen. Inside of the play pen, many young mice of different shapes, sizes, colors, and genders were playing together. The sounds of giggling entered their ears. They all turned to see Mistress Catherine enter the room. They all ran up to their grandmotherly figure and Maria, who was acting like their nursemaid. They stared as Tanya entered the room, but it wasn't her, it was her daughter. They continued to watch Amber as Mistress Catherine set her down in the play pen. The newcomer smiled at the other mice, but they didn't return this gesture. "Uh-oh, I was afraid something like this would happen," Maria said nervously. Tanya only thought that the other mice found Amber shy, but this theory was proved wrong when the mouse closest to Amber head-butted her. Tanya wanted to gather Amber in her arms and give her the protection she needed, but Mistress Catherine stopped her.

"No, Tanya, it's like Maria said. Give them time so that they may know her better. Don't worry, she is in good hands..."


	3. Chapter 3

Fire in Cold Glow (Revised Edition)

By Masked Mouse

Edited by LuluCalliope

Chapter Three

Five years passed by gradually. Amber had grown into a sweet little girl, but she was still as cute as a button. Tanya doted upon her young daughter, and she made her all sorts of dresses purely out of kindness in her heart. The one that Amber received for one day—her birthday—was red, but not identical to the one Tanya had worn when she was a little girl. It pained Tanya too much to try and make a dress like that. But Amber was contented with the one she was given. "Oh, Mama, it is so pretty! You really shouldn't have gone to all that trouble," Amber told her, hugging her tightly.

"Don't be silly," Tanya replied, holding her daughter in her arms. "You are my daughter, and it is your birthday, after all." Even as Tanya embraced her daughter, she couldn't help but notice the background to her daughter's voice. It was Russian, and Tanya had expected it to be, but there was another accent, one that faintly clashed with the other. Tanya always ended up with a headache whenever she tried to figure it out. It was almost as if two different people were a part of Amber. One was trying to help Tanya forget her pain and her dark past, but the other was telling her not to forget, even if it hurt her. Amber should know the truth, the latter said.

"Oh, Mama, I should go! I want to go see Aiden!" Amber said, shaking her mother out of her thoughts. And Tanya smiled, glad that her daughter had made a friend at last. Tanya had felt awful during those days when Amber was bullied by the other children in the hostel. They kicked at her and called her terrible names for no good reason at all. Tanya had hated it even more than her daughter had, and she felt useless to try and stop it.

But Aiden had come along. He was a young rat, roughly three years older than Amber. He had light white fur, a light pink nose, and beautiful emerald green eyes that glistened in the sunlight. He usually wore a white shirt, blue overalls, brown buckle shoes, and a red handkerchief around his neck. He had been responsible for teaching Amber how to fish, and she always thought of him highly. She believed that he knew everything that there was to know ranging from places, faces, and dates. She also was under the impression that he was the best tracker that she had seen in her whole life. (These children were very precocious.) Amber had taken up the habit of meeting him every day by a lake, where they would go fishing together.

And now Amber was ready to see him. She gave her mother a fleeting kiss before running out of the tiny hole that served as the main exit to the hostel. She didn't stop running until she made out the figure of her friend sitting on a fallen branch with a makeshift rod in his hands. "Hey, Am, what took you so long?" He asked as she sat beside him.

"Oh, it's only my birthday today," Amber replied nonchalantly.

"Then happy birthday, Am. I'm sorry I didn't get you a present," he said, smirking at her. Amber resisted the urge to playfully punch him in the side. But he handed her a spare rod, and the two watched the calm lake in silence for a while. "How are things going in the hostel for you and your mother?" Aiden asked eventually.

Amber wished he wouldn't ask that question, but she told him, "Oh, we're doing fine. My mother's just about ready to start looking for other housing options now that she's completely healthy again."

"Why don't you two just come over to my parents' place? We've always got a spare bedroom if needed," Aiden said with a smile, sounding almost like a realtor.

"Thanks Aiden," she said kindly, "but my mom says that she hates to be a burden on people. She thinks she has been one on Mistress Catherine for the last five years. And she hates that some of her wounds took that long to heal."

"I know you don't like it there," he said. He kicked at a small pebble, and it rolled out into the lake with a splash. "I wish that you would leave that stinking place forever."

"I don't think that it's very fair to say things like that," Amber scolded lightly. "Mistress Catherine and Maria have been very good to me and my mother."

"Yeah, but nobody else has been," he complained. Amber was about to retort, but his gasp interrupted her. His line had snagged on something. "Hey, Am, I caught one!"

"What?" She screeched, standing up and casting her own rod aside. "We've never caught anything before!" (And given that they were smaller than most of the inhabitants in New York, this was true.)

"I've got something now!" He gasped, trying to reel it in. But his line was stuck.

"Careful! It's going to break your line! Pull it in, pull it in!" Amber hollered, wringing her hands together nervously.

"I'm trying! Help me, Am!" He shouted, sweating from the effort. She ran up to him. Her attempts to help him were in vain, and they were both pulled off of their feet and into the water. They did manage to paddle back to the bank, where they burst out laughing at the sight of each other. "Just wait until your mom sees you!" Aiden choked out as they got to their feet.

"Let's try again," Amber said. "I want to see what you caught." Aiden nodded, and much to their surprise, the line wasn't stuck anymore. He reeled it in smoothly. Their faces fell when they saw what they had caught. "Man, this stinks, it's just a piece of cloth," Aiden complained.

"What do you think it is from?" Amber asked, staring at the brilliant scarlet fabric that was stuck to the end of the rod.

Aiden gingerly sniffed it. "It doesn't smell like a human," he said cautiously. He stiffened before shivering a little. "I know that smell, Amber," he said slowly. Amber knew that he used her full name when he was scared, in danger, or both.

"What is it, Aiden?" She asked with fear in her eyes.

"I'll give you a hint: it's a filthy, no good cat," he said. They stared at the cloth and at each other with dread on their faces. "I think we better go home now," he said. He watched her run off in the direction of the hostel. When he was convinced that she was out of harm's way, he scampered towards a different trail, the one that led to his house, the mysterious piece of fabric clenched tightly in his hands…


	4. Chapter 4

Fire in Cold Glow (Revised Edition)

By Masked Mouse

Edited by LuluCalliope

Chapter Four

Aiden sighed as he reached the front door of his house. His father had built it underground due to safety reasons. This bothered Aiden mostly, for he liked to watch the world above. He enjoyed watching the sun coming up over New York. But today he didn't mind. The piece of fabric was still causing him to be tense, even after he fell onto the couch. He wished that his mother was home so that he could tell her about what had happened. But she was away at work, and he was left by himself, with nothing but his own thoughts to comfort him…

Meanwhile, Amber had reached her home in the hostel. "Mama, Mama," she cried out, running up to Tanya and giving her a hug.

"What is it, my little one? You are freezing! What have you been doing, swimming in the lake?" She demanded, placing her hand on her daughter's forehead.

"I fell in, Mama! Aiden and I were going fishing!"

"Oh, Aiden, I swear that boy will end up in a cat's mouth one of these days," Tanya muttered to herself, cutting off Amber. "Now, what were you saying?"

"He caught something, but his line got stuck and we fell in! Guess what he found, Mama! It was a piece of cat's clothing!"

Tanya stood frozen in shock. "Cat clothing," she repeated faintly. "What color was it?"

"It was red, Mama," Amber told her, and Tanya gathered her daughter in her arms. Amber could sense the fear in her mother.

"Oh, dear God, he is back," Tanya said to herself, shaking with fear.

"Who is back, Mama?" Amber asked, wondering what her mother meant by that. At that moment Maria appeared to fetch Tanya and her daughter for dinner. Amber went ahead with her, but Tanya stayed, paralyzed with shock. Moments of her last moments with her family flashed before her eyes, as did several images of Cat R. Waul.

She shook herself. No, she told herself. Cat R. Waul doesn't know where we are. How could he have found us? And he knows nothing of Amber. I shouldn't think such silly thoughts. And besides, that piece of clothing could have been in the water for several years. The scent must have been washed away. Aiden could have mistaken it for something else…a fish, perhaps, or just a human.

Tanya regained her composure. Everything was going to be okay. Nothing was going to happen to her or to Amber. She forced a chipper smile onto her face, and she followed Maria and her daughter for the final meal of the day.


	5. Chapter 5

Fire in Cold Glow (Revised Edition)

By Masked Mouse

Edited by LuluCalliope

Chapter Five

Eight years passed for Amber and Tanya in the hostel. Amber had grown more beautiful, and Tanya knew that she was lovelier than the other children. They all continued to torment her, and they made her do pointless, terrible chores. Amber only got a small share of what the other children had, such as toys and clothes. (Her favorite outfit was a short-sleeved white dress with dark shoes.)

Meanwhile, Tanya's condition was getting worse instead of better. They hadn't had much luck in trying to relocate, either. Maria did her best to look after them, but it didn't help much. "How is my mama?" Amber asked one night. She had just finished sweeping the floors.

"Your mama has a fever," Maria grimly told her. "But try not to worry about it, Miss Amber. We'll do our best. I'm sure she'll get over it quickly."

"This is your fault," one of the other girls declared haughtily. "We should have known not to take you in." Maria shot her a dark look, and smiled encouragingly at Amber. She felt the hot stream of tears running down her face, even though she wanted to be brave and not show her sadness for her mama.

Maybe a visit to see Aiden would help, she thought. She returned to her own room, packing what little belongings she had in a small bag. Most of them consisted of paintbrushes, a drawing pad, and a sewing kit. Had she looked out of the window, she would have seen shadowy figures, and then she would have run to warn the others. But she didn't do that in her haste.

The building was suddenly smashed apart by these shadowy figures. All of the mice were sent running in different directions. Amber heard the noises and screams as she laid eyes on the creatures that she had been told to fear: cats. Amber took off running, running faster than she had ever run in her life. But her fear and exhaustion caught up with her, and she fainted. The world around her went black.

And she thought that she was going to die.

When she came to, Amber was lying in a room that was bigger than any other she had seen before. She was lying on a table, covered with a piece of red cloth that had been fashioned into a blanket. She saw a bowl of water and some cheese beside her. She sat up, wondering where she was. She saw other items in the room. In one corner there was a plush couch by a window that had curtains drawn. Beside the table was a dresser. Amber got up and looked inside of the drawers. They were overflowing with clothes. She stiffened upon hearing the door open. A cat with one good eye entered the room. "Good, you're awake," he told her. "I am sure we have made you comfortable." That sent chills down her spine. The cat left almost as quickly as he had entered, and Amber felt her heart beat out of her chest. She was relieved that the cat hadn't finished her off, but she wondered why.

She heard someone moving around in the room. She turned to face it, thinking that it was another mouse being held prisoner. "Mama, are you there?" She called out hopefully. But then she saw who it was, and she felt her mouth go dry. It was a cockroach. She had heard of them but had never seen one of them in the flesh. "Hello," Amber told him.

"Hello!" The cockroach was a nervous, excited mess. He was always twitching and moving about. He was being shocked by strange bolts of electricity in his antennae. "Eat something; you look hungry and thirsty to me!" Amber stared at him.

But she did sample a little bit of the cheese, and she felt her strength returning slowly. "What is your name?" Amber asked.

"Digit, what's yours?"

"Amber, but my friends call me Am for short," she told him, trying to determine whether he was on her side.

"'Amber', that's a beautiful name," Digit told her as she took a small sip of the water.

"Digit, do you know why I was brought here?" Amber asked gently.

"Yes. I'm sorry that I can't tell you, my boss said that I am not allowed to," he replied, shaking his head regretfully. Oh, great, Amber thought bitterly. He's on their side.

The door opened and the same cat from before entered. "Is the girl ready? Boss Warren and Boss Cat want to see her."

"Yes, she's eaten some of the food and had some of the water," Digit told him.

"Good," the cat replied. He walked over to the table, holding out his paw for Amber to climb onto. Amber shrank away from it in fear.

"Would it help if I went?" Digit asked, and Amber nodded gratefully. She didn't know much about this funny little cockroach, but she did feel safer with him in the cat's paw. The cat closed his two paws around them to keep them from falling off. They were carried for a while, and Amber's ears pricked up upon hearing the sound of piano and violin music. She and Digit were uncovered as the cat holding them knocked on a door. The music stopped suddenly.

"What is it?" A voice called from within, and Amber thought that this person was speaking with a British accent. She wondered if the two people inside were the "Mister Warren" and "Mister Cat" from before.

"I have the girl with me," the cat holding onto Amber and Digit called back.

"Well, bring her in," another voice called. Amber could have sworn that she heard this person complaining about his…nose, or something. The door was opened, and Amber looked around the new room. There was a velvet couch. The largest rat Amber had even seen was sitting on it. He was wearing a white shirt, blue trousers, and a blue cape. In the corner of the room there was a piano. There was a cat sitting by it. He had a monocle, and he was dressed in scarlet clothes. "Leave the girl and be on your way," the rat said, watching Amber carefully. Digit jumped off of the paw of the cat, and he ran up to the rat.

"Will that be all?" The cat that had carried Amber in asked.

"Yes, you have done your bit," said the British cat. Amber stared at the two strangers shyly and sadly once the other cat had left. "How are you finding your visit?" The cat asked.

Amber stared at his clothes, recalling the red fabric that Aiden had pulled from the lake when they were children. This cat was wearing an outfit made from fabric exactly like that. Amber remained silent, telling herself that she had to be brave for her mother…


	6. Chapter 6

Fire in Cold Glow (Revised Edition)

By Masked Mouse

Edited by LuluCalliope

Chapter Six

Meanwhile, Aiden arrived at the hostel. He had hoped that he could just drop by for a casual visit…but then he saw the mess that the cats left behind. He whistled. "Man, I missed the fun. It started without me," he muttered to himself. His wry sense of humor slowly disappeared as he searched the rooms, looking for Amber and Tanya. All of the other mice were there, slowly getting back on their feet and running to comfort each other. But a feeling of panic came as he realized that only two mice were missing. "Tanya, Am, where are you?" He called as he ran through the rooms.

"In here," Tanya's voice answered him. He found her hiding in the corner of the kitchen, trembling with shock and fear. A cough escaped her lips.

"Tanya, what happened in here?" Aiden asked as he crouched down beside her. She had been sick before, but now her condition had gotten worse. "Where's Amber?" Aiden asked, looking around desperately.

"It was…cats," Tanya told him, choking on a sob and a cough. "They came here. They took…her. They took my baby…and I couldn't stop them." She burst into tears.

Aiden shook his head. "It wasn't your fault, Tanya," he told her grimly, once again inspecting the damage done. A sense of determination gripped him, and he said with confidence, "I'll find her. I'll bring Amber back." And with that, he rushed off.

Tanya watched him, and she shook her head. There was something about his attitude that reminded her of Fievel, her younger brother. And in spite of her hysterics, she smiled feebly.

* * *

Aiden arrived at his house. He didn't know where to go, but his house would do nicely for starters. There were a few items that he needed to collect from there. He nearly collided with an older rat as he entered. She was wearing a purple dress, and she looked like the female equivalent of him, except for the minor differences. "Aiden Robert Ratter, what has gotten into you?" She demanded of him, placing her hands on her hips. She followed him inside, watching him dash around and tear the rooms apart.

"Sorry, Mom, I just have to get some things," he replied, not looking at her. "Where did Dad keep his staff and slingshot?"

"Why do you need those things?" Camilla Ratter demanded of her son. The staff was a long wooden stick made of a fine oak. It was allegedly the perfect weapon for those who wanted to challenge cats in battle. The same could be said about the slingshot. "What would your father think if he saw you using them for silly reasons?" Aiden bit his lip as he remembered the day he found out that his father had been killed by cats. He tried to push that feeling aside as he continued his search.

"It's Amber," he said, opening several drawers and tearing through the contents. "She was taken by some cats at the hostel, and I'm going to find her."

"What? How do you know?" Camilla asked, shocked.

"The hostel is a mess. Tanya told me what happened," Aiden replied, examining all of the drawers that he had checked previously.

"Why would anyone want to take a sweet girl like her?" Camilla wondered bitterly.

"That's what I'm going to find out," Aiden said, a fierce look in his eyes.

Camilla noticed it, and she chuckled a little. "There's no stopping you, is there?" She asked. "They're hung over the mantle, as always."

Aiden looked up from the mess he had made and saw the items over the fireplace. "And if you are going to go into the belly of the beast with those items, be sure to wear your father's cloak. And when you come back, you and Amber had better be in one piece. Is that understood?" Camilla asked with a strict demeanor.

"Thanks, Mom," Aiden whispered. He and his mother shared one last embrace before he ran off into the dangers that awaited him.


	7. Chapter 7

Fire in Cold Glow (Revised Edition)

By Masked Mouse

Edited by LuluCalliope

Chapter Seven

Amber had refused to speak to the cats. She hadn't answered the British cat when he had asked her about how she was finding her stay…not until he placed one of his claws under her chin in a threatening manner. She gulped as she felt the sharpness of it touch her skin. "How are you finding your stay?" He repeated. "I'm not going to ask you again."

"You did, just now," Amber pointed out meekly.

"Don't talk back," the rat warned.

Amber ignored this outburst and answered the cat's question. "Digit has been really helpful," she told him, and the cat removed his claw. She sighed in relief, but gasped as she was lifted up by one of them. They carried her into another room. There was a table in here, and it had a bowl of water on it. She was stripped off her dress and shows and then thrown into the water. She was held under the water for a long period of time, and she kicked, desperate and scared to reach the surface. She felt relief when fresh air entered her lungs, but also humiliation and misery. She was wrapped up in a new dress—white cloth with tattered green fabric—and she was once again carried into a different room. This one resembled a kitchen. She was placed down on the floor, and she desperately looked around for a way to escape.

"This is now your home, little mouse, and that is how it shall stay," the rat told her as he left with the cat. Amber heard the door lock. She shivered as she realized that the fire was burning low. She found a small pile of wood in a basket and ran up to it. She tugged hard on it as she struggled to get one log.

As she did, she got the shock of her life: a huge spider was staring straight at her. "What's a tasty snack like you doing in my neck of the woods?" It asked. Amber screamed and dashed away, hiding behind a table for safety. She heard footsteps approaching and the door unlocked. "Chula, may I say that this girl is not for eating? She must be kept alive," she heard the British cat saying. "Don't worry, my dear, he won't hurt you." The door locked again. Amber wondered about why she was so important to them. It just didn't make sense. She went back to work, doing the difficult task of dragging a piece of wood into the fire. She then scurried up the table leg. She saw a few items laid out: a knife, some food, and a board.

"Is this why they brought me here?" Amber asked herself, "To be their personal slave?"

She picked up the knife and carefully brought it down on a piece of cheese. She closed her eyes, afraid that she would accidentally cut herself instead. Amber opened her eyes, saw that she was still alright, and continued the process. When she was done, night had approached. She collapsed from exhaustion as she heard the door unlock. She was only vaguely aware of being carried into another room and being tucked into a makeshift bed. She didn't wake up, but she tossed and turned in her sleep.

And she had nightmares. She was running from danger on a cold, dark night. She found that her only way out was being blocked by a cat. She began bleeding badly and she collapsed as mocking laughter reached her ears. "Aiden, Aiden!" She called out hopelessly. And there was a dark voice that told her that Aiden couldn't hear her and that she belonged to the cats and that was how it was going to stay. She awoke to a dark room. She called out quietly for Digit but received no answer. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she saw two peculiar objects resting on the dresser. They looked like…the rat's nose and ears. She stared at them in confusion, afraid and curious…

* * *

Aiden ran through the streets, exhausted but determined. "Amber! Amber!" He called out repeatedly. He felt raindrops pound down on him as a storm began. A strong gust of wind knocked him over, and he collapsed. "I will find you, Amber," he said softly to himself. "I promise."


	8. Chapter 8

Fire in Cold Glow (Revised Edition)

By Masked Mouse

Edited by LuluCalliope

Chapter Eight

Aiden woke with a yawn and a stretch as the warm rays of the sun dried his soaked body. He had had an uncomfortable rest, given that he had slept on solid ground using his father's cloak as a blanket. He stood up, collapsed, and then got to his feet again. His nose told him that there was food nearby, and his mouth watered. Aiden shook his head furiously. "No," he told himself, "no matter how hungry and tired I am I won't stop until Amber is safe with her mother." Still, his stomach made a huge rumbling noise. He hadn't had anything to eat yesterday afternoon or last night. And he hadn't packed any food for the long trip.

He felt a chain around his neck. He clasped his hand around the half of a heart charm. "Oh, Am, where are you?" Aiden said to himself. The heart charm was a friendship charm that Amber had bought when they were younger. She had broken it in half on one of their adventures.

"Aiden, you keep one half, and I'll keep the other," Amber had told him. "As long as we wear them, we are together. If we are apart, we'll find a way back."

"But Am, you shouldn't," Aiden had said, moved by her generosity.

"Don't mention it," she had told him. "It will bring good luck when you least expect it."

Aiden felt sadness reaching his heart. "I hope that day is now," he told himself.

* * *

Meanwhile, Amber got dressed, the question from last night still burning inside of her. She had to find Warren to ask him. She searched the whole place for him looking for him without bumping into any cats. Still, she couldn't find him in any of the rooms. Then she found him talking to Cat R. Waul. She couldn't hear much of what they were saying, but what she did hear sounded important. Amber decided to wait until Warren wasn't with Cat. "Even if he has the manners of a gentleman," Amber told herself, "a cat is still a cat."

So she headed off to the kitchen to start her work. She spotted Chula and Digit on the table, and they seemed to be arguing. "It can't be done, it simply can't," Digit said angrily.

"And why not?" Chula asked, annoyed by the cockroach.

"Because what if she isn't ready? It will break her heart," Digit replied, and Amber realized that they were talking about her. She moved forward quickly. They didn't hear her light footsteps.

"Yeah, right," Chula said, "you are only defending her because you're the only one that she can trust!" Amber saw Digit fuming, and she rushed to his side when Chula threw a web at him. She also felt the sticky thread tangle around her, trapping her.

"What is going on in here?" Cat R. Waul demanded, entering the room.

"Nothing, boss, just some harmless fun," Chula answered as the cat towered over them. The spider ran off as the cat stared at the only two left: Digit and Amber.

"It was his fault, he started it," Digit protested as he broke free of the web.

"I will deal with you later, Digit!" The cat yelled, and Digit took one last sad look at Amber before he ran off.

Amber shook in fear, thinking that it was her turn to face the cat's wrath and that she was going to get it now. But, oddly enough, he picked her up in his hand, helping her out of the web. She wondered why he wasn't angry with her. And then she felt his free hand stroking her. "Now, my dear, he won't bother you anymore, Miss," he told her.

"It's Amber, just Amber," she replied quietly.

"Don't you have a last name?" He asked, and she shook her head.

"I saw you talking to Warren earlier," Amber said. "What were you talking about?"

"Now, my dear Amber, we mustn't let that trouble your young mind," Cat R. Waul told her, placing her back on the ground before walking out.

She shook her head at this. And she began to sweep the floors, trailing the huge cloth along behind her. The sun was setting by the time she was finished. She saw one of the cats enter to carry her off back to Warren's room, probably to rest. Amber didn't mind. She was glad to sleep under her cozy blanket. But she noticed that she was being carried to a different room, one that looked like a huge dining room with human-sized chairs.

Amber was placed in between the two main seats—and in between Warren and Cat—and she was given a thimble filled with water and a piece of cheese. She nibbled her food slowly, listening to what the two were saying.

"How was business today?" The cat asked the rat.

"Slow, but we're getting there," Warren replied.

Amber tried to figure out what they were saying, but curiosity got the better of her, and she had to know about what she saw last night. "Warren?" She asked, staring up at him as the other two stared back. "I woke up last night and I saw something very unusual."

"What was that?" Warren asked.

"I saw your ears and nose on the dresser. I thought that that might sound strange. But do you have a shedding problem?" Amber asked innocently.

"A shedding problem?" He echoed, shocked.

"Yes," Amber said, getting carried away. "I knew a younger mouse back at the hostel, and she had a shedding problem. Her fur kept coming out in tufts and tufts…" She was cut off when Warren threw her onto the table, nearly strangling her in the process.

"Warren! Calm down! Control yourself!" Cat R. Waul said, trying to soothe the rat.

"I don't care! I will tear her to pieces for what she saw!" Warren declared.

Cat got her quickly out of harm's way before handing her to another cat. "Take Miss Amber out of here at once," he ordered, and the other cat nodded and brought Amber back to his room, where Digit was waiting.

"What happened, Amber? I heard all the fuss," he said, noticing the scared look in her eye.

"Warren tried to kill me," she said in a small, frightened voice that was barely a whisper. She rubbed her neck. "I was just asking him a question about his nose and ears, and all of a sudden, he attacks me."

"He is just…a little sensitive about that subject," Digit told her. "Be careful next time."

"There won't be a next time," Amber declared. "I'm getting out of here tonight!"

"I'm afraid that's impossible," Digit said. "They have all of the cats on patrol, so it's hopeless."

"I need to know why I was brought here in the first place," Amber said gently to the one person who had shown her any real kindness. "And I need to know the truth."

Digit sighed. "All right, I'll tell you," he said reluctantly. "Here's the truth…."

* * *

**A/N: Whew! Crazy weekend and I actually got ANOTHER part-time job! AHH! Please vote on the poll, and leave a review! :)**


	9. Chapter 9

Fire in Cold Glow: Revised Edition

By Masked Mouse

Edited by LuluCalliope

Chapter Nine

"You are the niece of this kid—Fievel—that humiliated my boss and Cat R. Waul a long time ago," Digit confessed. "They never forgave him for that so years later they found him and his family. They were trapped and captured, but there was one small flaw in the plan."

"What was that?" Amber asked, hardly daring to believe what she was hearing.

"You and your mother," Digit explained. "Both of you lived, yet we never formally found the answer out."

"Maybe another mouse risked their own neck for us," Amber said softly.

"No, we know that Cat R. Waul, he let her go," Digit said.

"He did what?" Amber asked, wide-eyed at that.

"Yeah, you never expected that one coming did you? It was your mother's Siren voice that probably saved your lives," Digit explained. Amber's heart was beating fast. She had never known any of this. "The only thing troubling us is how you were born," Digit continued.

"I guess we're stuck on the same question, then," Amber said glumly, "for I have been wondering about who my papa could be. Every night in the hostel I dream of him."

"Aw, you poor thing," Digit said sympathetically.

"I don't want to trouble you with my problems," Amber said. And then she thought of Aiden. She didn't want the cats to attack him, and she hoped that he was okay. She held her hand tightly over her half of the silver heart charm.

"Hey, that is a pretty piece of jewelry," Digit observed, and Amber beamed slightly at the compliment. "Why is there only half of the heart?"

"Oh, it is a friendship heart," Amber explained. "I have one half of the heart, and my friend Aiden has the other half. Together they form one whole heart."

"Whoa, this Aiden guy must be pretty special to you," Digit said, smiling a little.

"He is. He is kind, brave, fun to be around, adventurous, and always there to lend a hand," Amber said wistfully.

"I'm guessing he means a lot more to you than a friend," Digit said, seeing the look on her face. Amber shook her head. At that moment, the door opened, and Amber hid under the blanket of her bed in case Warren was still in his bad mood. All Amber heard from him were the sounds of him getting ready for bed. She gave a sigh of relief as she came out of hiding. She saw that she was now alone, and that she had to get out of there. Aiden and her mother were probably worried for her safety. And she hoped that her mother's sickness hadn't gotten worse since she had left. But, deep in her heart, she knew that Aiden was searching for her.

She remembered the words of a song her mother had taught her when she was younger, and she thought that singing would help keep her optimistic.

"Somewhere out there

Beneath the pale moonlight

Someone's thinking of me and loving me tonight…"

* * *

Aiden felt that Amber was close by. He also remembered the words of Tanya's special song. She had sung it to her daughter every night. He thought that singing perhaps would help him.

"Somewhere out there

Someone's saying a prayer

That we'll find one another in that big somewhere out there…"

* * *

Amber thought that she could sense Aiden. Her heart beat fast with joy.

"And when the night wind starts to sing a lonesome lullaby

It helps to think that we're sleeping under the same big sky

Somewhere out there

If love can see us through

Then we'll be together somewhere out there

Out where our dreams come true…"

She heard someone behind her, and she turned to face Warren. She wondered how long he had been standing there and listening. "What do you think you are doing?" He demanded, staring at her coldly.


	10. Chapter 10

Fire in Cold Glow: Revised Edition

By Masked Mouse

Edited by LuluCalliope

Chapter Ten

"I was only singing; I wasn't doing anything wrong," Amber said meekly, turning away from the window to face him.

"It might be singing to you, but it is a dangerous thing," Warren said in that same cold tone. Amber was confused as to what was so dangerous about that. But she didn't have time to think about that as she saw Warren reach out to grab her. Amber ran in the nick of time as she caught his nose instead. She gasped as she saw it get pulled off of his face. Amber gasped, and Warren hastily put it back on. "You saw nothing, got it?" He said to her, and she nodded.

He did pick her up, and she quickly thought about where she was being taken now. They walked down a long corridor and down the same flight of stairs from before. She heard the familiar sound of piano music. She realized that Cat R. Waul was still up.

Warren entered a room without knocking, and the piano music ceased. "Warren, what is the meaning of this?" Cat R. Waul demanded, standing up from the piano.

"The girl, I caught her at it," Warren explained harshly.

"Caught her at what?" Cat R. Waul asked, annoyed.

"Singing is a bad sign indeed," Warren said, and Cat raised an eyebrow at him, confused.

"What's so terrible about singing?" He asked.

"Because she is a mouse, she has no right to be singing," Warren explained.

"Well, why not? If a cat can sing, then so can a mouse," Cat said. "Now hand her over to me. I will be the judge of whether she is allowed to sing or not." Warren did what he was told.

"Fine, go ahead, now I am off to bed," he said, annoyed. He left the room, slamming the door behind him.

As soon as they were alone, Cat put Amber on top of the piano and returned to the seat. "Now, Amber, let's see what all the fuss was about," he said to her.

Amber shook her head sadly. "I don't think I can sing," she said modestly.

"Nonsense," he replied. Soon he started to play. Amber felt the music take her to another world where she could be free with Aiden, Tanya, and no cats in sight. Suddenly Amber's voice opened and she began to sing. Her voice sounded like nightingales flying into the night sky. She danced to the rhythm before the music stopped. She felt herself being lifted up, and she shivered in fear, thinking she was in trouble. But she felt him stroking her, and she realized that she wasn't in trouble. "You simply have your mother's gift for singing. You shall not hide away what she gave you."

"There is nothing special about me," Amber insisted. "I am just a mouse that got caught up with a bunch of cats."

"But you are special, Amber," Cat told her. "And we do everything to keep the ones we care for."

She shivered in fear.

* * *

It was dark everywhere, and Amber was left alone in the room. She had to get out and warn Aiden, her mother, and everyone else about the rest of the cats. She had two ways of escaping. The first was to slip out under the door and risk getting recaptured. Amber shook her head. There was another way: the window. She raced over to it, and it opened on her third attempt. She looked down. It was a long way down, and she could have broken her neck if she wasn't careful. She needed something to use as a rope. Her gaze fell on the curtain. She scurried over to it and tore enough of it off to use as a rope. She hung the torn piece over the window sill as she began her descent, making sure she was careful with her footing.

She hoped she wasn't too late.

* * *

**Editor's Note:**

**It's me, LuluCalliope, and I have a special request for those who are responsible for the two hundred and seventy-three visits to this story...**

**REVIEW! Tell us what you think about the changes! Is it too long? Too short? Do you prefer the original version? Does anybody else want ice cream? Or go to my profile and look at the poll!**

**Please? :)**


	11. Chapter 11

Fire in Cold Glow: Revised Edition

By Masked Mouse

Edited by LuluCalliope

Chapter Eleven

Amber finally reached the ground, and she started to run. She didn't make it very far before she got tangled up with someone. Fearing it was one of the cats, she started to kick. "No, I'm not going back!" She said. "You cannot make me!"

"Hey, Am, it is alright, it's me!" A familiar voice said. Amber knew who it was at once, and she threw herself into the speaker's arms.

"Aiden, I knew you would come," Amber said happily, but soon fear returned to her. "We have to get out of here, and go back and warn the others." As soon as the words were out of her mouth, dark shadows appeared as the cats emerged.

"Amber, get some stones!" Aiden said, handing her his father's sling shot. At that moment Aiden was flung to the side as one of the cats sank his claws into his side, wounding him. Amber tried to go to him, but she felt herself being lifted.

"Don't worry, I'll take care of you," said the cat who was holding her. Aiden managed to break free and bring his father's staff down on the cat's tail, which made him drop Amber. She quickly got to her feet, collecting as many stones as she could find. She aimed at the cat closest to Aiden, and she hit him on the nose. It wasn't happy one bit with her.

Finally, Amber couldn't handle anymore, and everything went black.

She woke up in a dark room. She was wrapped up in a blanket made of thin cloth. She felt something soft move beside her. "Aiden," she said softly, recognizing him after he groaned and winced. She held him close.

Suddenly Aiden leaned over and kissed Amber on the lips. The kiss lasted for what seemed like an hour before Aiden pulled away, panting. "Sorry, Am," Aiden apologized.

"It's okay," she said, smiling. "I liked it."

They were both silent after that. Amber tried not to cry, but she wanted to for many reasons. She thought of her mother and of her sickness. She hoped that she hadn't gotten worse. As she heard the sound of rain pouring down, she got an idea. She nudged Aiden softly. "What is it, Am?" He asked.

"Do you hear that?" She said to him. "It's raining, and if there's one thing that cats hate, it's water."

"But we might get caught in the storm, too," he pointed out.

"You're right, Aiden, but we can't just sit here doing nothing!" Amber said.

"Wait, listen," Aiden whispered. The two kept quiet long enough to hear a cat hissing at someone or something before an object was smashed against a wall.

"Whoa," Aiden said. "Someone has sure upset them big time." Amber nodded.


End file.
